Jesus preaches a personal relationship that is far deeper than the rhetoric often heard in some so-called Christian circles today. He is describing a relationship and a fellowship with God that is life changing.

Sadly, a lot of the people who profess Jesus in their lives through surveys and polls lead lives barely different from people who don't profess Christ. These self-professed Christians do not reveal their faith at their workplaces or in their marriages or in their academic pursuits and places-because it's not real. And rest assured, Jesus does not allow for superficiality or artificiality. He won't let you get away with that.

It's like the guy I heard about who was stuck in traffic behind a lady who was talking on her cell phone. He was one of these self-professed Christians, as proclaimed by the myriad bumper stickers on his car. Well, this man was becoming increasingly incensed as the woman in front of him missed two lights, distracted as she was by her conversation on the telephone. He began raising his hands, shaking his fists, honking his horn, and turning the air blue with profanity at such a volume that you could hear it outside the car.

When he could take it no more, he accelerated around the woman's vehicle, only to be pulled over by a police officer who had observed his antics. The officer insisted that the man get out of his vehicle and sit in the police cruiser. Stunned, the man exclaims, "What are you talking about, all I did was try to get through this traffic! You can't pull me over for yelling at that woman!"

As the officer checked out the man's license and registration, the officer gave the man a real good looking over. When the officer released him, the irate man assured the officer that he would never hear the end of it — that he had been pulled over for no reason. To which the officer responded, "I'll tell you why I pulled you over sir. When I saw your car and the bumper stickers and the way you acted, I thought you must have stolen the car."

A person's actions do indeed speak louder than a person's words. As Matthew 7:20 states, "Therefore by their fruits you will know them." 7 The fruit our lives yield is what others will judge us by.

John also talks about the basic truth of knowing Jesus. John, in fact, even defines some of the spiritual fruit that shows we are saved. He states, "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God." 8

So my first question to you is, have you confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If you haven't, you are not a Christian. You can invoke the name of God all you like, but it is impossible to be saved without confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord by personally and publicly identifying yourself as a follower of Jesus.

You must believe in who He is — the Savior, the sinless and spotless Lamb of God — and in what He did for you: dying on the cross for your sins and rising again on the third day. But only if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead will we be saved. 9